Rarely has a film been the object of such changing perceptions as The Green Mile. A decade after the film?s release, it?s one of the most loved films of the 1990s. But it wasn't always so. At the time of it?s release it got mixed reviews by critics -according to Rotten Tomatoes, only about 70% of the top critics gave it a good review. To understand why, we have to transport ourselves back to the 90s. The last film to make it to the big screen by both writer, Stephen King, and director, Frank Darabont, was a film called The Shawshank Redemption, widely considered to be one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history. Whether or not you agree with that, understand that Shawshank connected with audiences and critics both in a very powerful way. In addition, The Green Mile was also set during the first half of the 20th Century, and also in a prison -comparisons to Shawshank were inevitable, and given King's hiatus (imposed by a horrible accident), and the fact that The Green Mile was Darabont's sophomore follow up to Shawhank, anticipation was at an all time high. The Shawshank Redemption cast such a long shadow over The Green Mile, that it's nearly impossible to find any Green Mile review from the time that doesn't mention it. When compared to such a monumental achievement, is it any wonder that The Green Mile was found lacking? But, take Shawshank out of the equation for a moment. Suddenly the picture becomes very different. Judged on it's own merits, The Green Mile is an outstanding motion picture. Everything about it is well done, and even though it's 188 minutes long, it's worth every minute. And just like the previous dramas, Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption it ends with one of those brilliant Stephen King lines that both summarizes the journey and hammers home the theme brilliantly. Outstanding.

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